Nido

(8 weeks – 18 months)

Nido Environment

Do you know that Babies & Casa is the First Montessori Infant Care in Malaysia?

At Babies & Casa, the children are supervised by a qualified nurse as well as trained teachers who are equipped with quality Montessori materials that offer the child the opportunity to grow and develop.

We have carefully selected these women based on their understanding of the needs of the child which encompasses a need for security in warm, loving relationships – an opportunity to bond; a need to explore and discover without undue adult intervention; a need for firm guidance and boundaries; a need for routine and order, a need to develop a sense of self and independence and finally a need to grow and develop according to their own internal clock.

The infants are also able to participate in all reading, gym and music programs as well as work with appropriate and safe Montessori equipment designed to encourage independence and build their self esteem from this tender age.

As we understand the importance of caring to the specific needs of the child, we have carefully explained the 5 areas in our Nido environment:

If you would require any further explanation, please drop us an enquiry in our ‘Contact Us’ column and we would love to arrange a tour for you to see our Nido environment.

Once your infant is able to sit up on his/her own and is eating some solid foods, a very low infant chair and table are provided. Your infant sits at the table with a caring adult and participates in self feeding as well as learning how to drink out of a small glass.

Self-feeding is a big milestone in your baby’s development, as it encourages them to explore food through their sense of touch as well as their senses of taste, sight and smell.

Transitioning babies from breast milk or formula to solid food is an exciting phase of their growth. As parents experiment with meals, stick to it for three to five days at home before trying the next food. Chances are, symptoms of a food allergy will show up within this time. Also, give your baby single-ingredient foods to make it easier to identify allergies.

Parents are to prepare their child’s solid food, make sure that the food is presented in developmentally appropriate forms: pureed, blended in with other foods, or as a safe finger food to prevent choking for babies.

As a general rule, don’t introduce a pillow until your child starts to sleep in a bed. Pillows are not necessary for babies and we prefer not to leave toys or stuffed animals in the cot with a sleeping child.

There are no pacifiers in a Montessori environment. They are not necessary. Pacifiers are designed to quiet a child for the convenience of the adult not for the developmental aims of the child. Comforting an infant and helping them move beyond dependency is our responsibility.

This area is divided into two areas – one for the pre-crawling infants and the other for the more mobile infants.

Pre-Crawling Movement Area

There is a large mirror on the wall with a mat in front of it where your infant can lie and observe him/herself or the rest of the environment. There are also mobiles in this area for your infant to look at or to touch as well as a low shelf with various objects to explore.

Mobile Infants movement area

This area has stairs, balancing bars and push wagons to encourage and enhance sitting, crawling, walking and climbing. There are also low shelves containing language materials which encourage self-expression and auditory and visual development. It is also in this area that toddlers seek out manipulative which introduce patterns and shapes as well as activities for sorting, stacking, threading and exploring.

This area is designed to create a safe, hygienic environment where your infant can be bathed and changed. It is large and airy with separate changing and bathing areas. There are also shelves for storage of your infant’s personal items.

As bathing and changing are a one on one experience the carers use this time to deepen the bond with your infant through conversation and massage. This is where the beginning of dressing and undressing skills is acquired so with gentle encouragement from the carer your child learns to actively participate in the process.

We have baby massage after every bath. Baby massages encourage a healthy digestive system, ease symptoms of colic, and promote a quiet and restful sleep later.